SERMONS.

SERMON I.

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 TIM. i. 15.

"Christ Jesus came into the world "-what a visitor! "To save sinners"-what an errand.

That a sovereign should visit every part of his palace is not surprising. That he should visit such parts of his empire as may promote his pleasure, gratify his curiosity, or advance his security, would not be astonishing.

But, that he should go into a revolted province, among rebels, alone and unarmed to dwell, might well amaze us..

Thus did Christ. He left his throne and came to a world, which indeed was once a paradise, not unworthy his Divine Majesty, when he might "come as into his garden and gather myrrh, and spice, and all precious fruits;" but now it is a waste, all grown over with thorns of sin, and

strange vines bringing forth sour grapes; and every man in it is an unprofitable husbandman-a Cain, sent to wander through it, with the mark of infamy on his brow.

And how does he come? Not in clouds and great glory, not with ten thousand of his saints; but in our form and likeness—as a man, and that too, a man of sorrows. He never spake of His royalty, but it was to be mocked. He never assumed regal dignity but once, and then "in meekness and lowliness, riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass ;" and his only regalia, a mock sceptre, a robe of scorn, and a crown of thorns.

None would ever have known him to be a King, had not angels honored his birth, and had not the Father proclaimed from His excellent glory, "This is my beloved Son."

And for what does he come? To save sinners. How worthy the errand even of divinity itself! That he should have appeared to punish sinners would have been no marvel; but that he should come to save them is a "mystery angels desire to look into." Once he descended from His throne of glory to make a world-now he comes to redeem one. Once he came to drive sinners out of Paradise, and to curse them and the ground for their sake—now, to open the gates of a better paradise, and to bless them with the blessings of the "upper and the nether springs!" Once he came to destroy man from the face of the earth, because "the cry of his sins had come up before him." Now he comes to take those sins on his shoulders, and bear them away into the land of forgetfulness. Once he came with a fiery law in his hand. Now he comes "full of grace and truth." Henceforth "Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men."

He came to save sinners-not the unfortunate, but the

guilty-not the objects of pity merely, but the subjects of blame and condemnation. There is nothing in man to claim his intervention; every thing to excite his wrath.

And at what a price! under what humiliation, what shame, what sufferings, does he carry out his purposes of love! When he came to create, it was but to speak and it was done. When he came to punish, it was but to frown and "the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the clouds rained down snares, and fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest." But, when he comes to redeem, if he speak he is "smitten, and buffeted, and spit upon;" and, for his tears and love, they cry out "Crucify him, crucify him; away with him." "It is not fit that he should live." Lo! there he hangs, charged with a world of sin-forsaken of his Father. He drinks out the bitter cup, whose wine is the red wine of indignation, to the very dregs.

For what end and design did he thus stoop and suffer? That he might "save sinners.” "He came not into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." He came "for us men and for our salvation."

But, while the unconvinced, or the half convinced sinner, conceives salvation to be the easiest event imaginable, the truly convinced sinner can scarcely believe it to be within the bounds of possibility, so many are the difficulties which stare him in the face.

He has broken the law. How shall its violated purity and honor be repaired? He has offended justice, how shall it be appeased? Sin has dominion over him, how shall its power be broken? Heaven is lost, how shall it be regained?

An answer to these inquiries, such as we may conceive, yea, such as we know, to characterize the newly, thoroughly

convinced sinner, will unfold this "true and worthy saying", on which, and on which alone, hang the hopes of a ruined world.

The law stares you in the face, with all its broad demands and heavy frowns. It gives you the knowledge of sin and of the deserts of sin; but it shows no way of escape from either the one or the other. What must be done? Christ has "magnified the law, and made it honorable," by his infinitely valuable obedience unto death; and has thus brought in an everlasting righteousness, as long and as broad as all the requirements of the law. We are therefore "no more under the law but under grace;" that is, we are not under it as a covenant, as that to which we may look, either in whole or in part, for salvation. A perfect state, such as angels are in, and such as our first parents were in, appends life to obedience to the law; but, that once broken, there is no more possibility of salvation by the law. We cannot atone for past violations, we cannot meet its full demands for the future, and it is not, cannot be, mitigated; therefore it does nothing but condemn. Either then, there is no salvation at all for sinners, or it is salvation without the deeds of the law; and such is the Gospel. "By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." *

And yet, we cannot be saved without righteousness. Christ has brought in "everlasting righteousness;" and now, through faith in him, we are dealt with as though we, in our own persons, fulfilled the whole law. His subjection. to the law was voluntary, therefore his obedience is the only true supererogation; i. e., the only obedience above

* Eph. ii. 8, 9.

what the law demands, and which therefore may be imputed to another: and, being infinite in his divine nature, his obedience is adequate to the demands of the law upon all men ; only marking the restriction, " to them that believe." It is "unto all and upon all them that believe."

Sin-stricken soul, here then is thy answer to the demands of the law; "Christ Jesus came into the world to fulfil the law for me, and to save me a sinner."

But, you say, "not only has the law demands upon me, but justice too; if the law looks to the future, justice looks to the past; the law says, 'The soul that sinneth it shall die.' I have sinned, how can justice be met and I live?"

The sufferings and death of Christ were voluntary, and of infinite value, and so justice is satisfied; just as debts are as effectually liquidated, when paid by the surety, as by the principal. The evangelical Prophet, speaking of that which was to be, as though it had been, says, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: he was wounded for our trangressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."* His forerunner points to him, and cries, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." The Lamb, with his dying breath exclaims, "It is finished :" and to him give all apostles witness, that "his blood cleanseth from all sin," and that he "came into the world to save sinners."

Here then is our answer to the demands of justice, "Christ has died." "May every heart with rapture say, the Saviour died for me."

But Heaven is lost, how shall it be won?

This also is embraced in the scheme of redemption.